The Brothers Size @ The Shed

The Play: The Brothers Size; a powerful and affecting revival of this modern-day fable about the testy but ultimately loving relationship between two brothers named after—and evoking the essence of—Yoruba gods

Written by: Tarell Alvin McCraney        Directed by: Bijan Sheibani and Tarell Alvin McCraney        

One good thing: Well, just about everything works—the ring of salt poured at the beginning of the performance which establishes the entire set as well as the mystical undertone of the production, the subtle variations in the simple costumes that define the characters, the live drummer whose beats punctuate the action and the spectacular performances by André Holland and Alani iLongwe as the brothers—but maybe most impressive to me was the spot-on direction that made the whole thing just as great as its parts, even while playing in the round

One not-so-great thing: The intentions—particularly the homoerotic subtext—of the play’s third character who threatens to come between the brothers might have been a little clearer but that’s a minor quibble in a production that delivers as much as this one does